Module 15

THE BULLY’S UNKNOWN SECRETS
Weeks 29 and 30

The following information should be paraphrased in a manner that your students can understand (age-appropriate).

It is not surprising that a bully who puts on the front of always being tough, and dominating is not wise enough to know that in reality, he/she is not tough at all.  Underneath a bully’s fake persona are secrets a bully is hiding that he/she would not want a potential victim to know.

The potential victims of the bully are not aware of the bully’s secrets. In the Bullies Be Gone Project comprehensive training, we want the potential victims to be keenly aware of the bully’s weakness the secrets reveal.

From this recognition, students will develop a mindset of self-empowerment, which always weakens a bully’s mindset of inappropriate and false strength and power.

Instilling and sustaining a positive self-empowerment mindset in students is aided by the comprehensive, multi-faceted, and sustainable training in the Bullies Be Gone Project.

In this Module’s training, unique Humor, Imagination, and Revelation are used.

DO BULLIES EVER CRY?

What is the theme/main idea of the illustration and what may be the hidden message(s) as it applies to bullying? (Students respond in their workbook)

“DO BULLIES EVER CRY?” – Poem

Do bullies ever cry?  You know what?  I really believe they do.

Bullies always put on a tough and strong front, which is designed to scare and confuse me and you.

My parents told me if you get a bully to reveal his/her real emotions; you would be shocked at what you would hear and see.

Bullies are really hurting inside.  They hide it by bullying kids like you and me.

Do bullies ever cry?  It very much seems like they do.

Then bullies must need help in facing the truth.

How can kids who are being bullied help a bully?  What can kids do?

If you are one of those kids, you can decide to stand up to the bully and not let him/her bully you.

You can tell the bully what he/she is doing is not right.

You can do this in a calm but firm way that doesn’t cause a fight.

Make sure while you do this, you look the bully straight in the eyes.

You can do this with confidence because you know something the bully
doesn’t know you know, and that is, that bullies do cry.

Al Johnson

Remind students: Select your favorite words or phrases in the poem. Copy them onto your “My Favorites” at the end of your workbook! Practice repeating them over and over again, so you are ready to confidently respond to a bully.

Students should role-play the poem for maximum effectiveness and sustainability. Following are the instructions:

  1. Give each student a number between 1- 6 (there are 6 stanzas in the poem).
  1. Students are to recite and then role play the stanza they were given (in numerical order).

“Do Bullies Ever Cry?” Vocabulary

Discuss the meanings of the following words/phrases, and how they are used in the stanzas of the poem for a clear understanding of the Theme/Main Idea and the author’s intent:

  • Tough and strong front

  • Reveal

  • Real Emotions

  • Help in facing the truth

  • Calm but firm

  • Confidence

What is the theme/main idea of the illustration and what may be the hidden message(s) as it applies to bullying? Students respond in their workbook.

“BULLIES ARE WITHOUT SELF-CONFIDENCE” – Poem

Did you know that bullies are without self-confidence?  However, that’s a message bullies try hard not to send.

Sure, on the surface bullies act tough and strong.  However, self-confidence doesn’t come from surface appearance, but from within.

Bullies hide their doubt and lack of self-confidence by seeking out kids who have less self-confidence than they do.

Once a bully finds a kid without self-confidence, he/she will dominate that kid over and over again, sticking to the kid like hard to remove very sticky glue.

If kids know firsthand bullies are without self-confidence, kids will have the upper hand.

Kids will have a much better chance of not being bullied because of what they truly understand.

Kids, if a bully comes around you and gets into your face,

With your imaginary X-ray vision, you can look right through the bully and find the bully’s non-confident place.

Tell the bully in a calm, but firm voice, “You will not bully me!”

“Because you know the Bully’s secret, for you, it’s crystal clear as can be!”

A kid should tell the bully, “I’m going to leave you precariously straddling your self-made picket fence.”

Goodbye! You will no longer bully me! “You’re a bully and bullies are without self-confidence!” 

      Al Johnson

Remind students: Select your favorite words or phrases in the poem. Copy them onto your “My Favorites” at the end of your workbook! Practice repeating them over and over again, so you are ready to confidently respond to a bully.

“BULLIES ARE WITHOUT SELF-CONFIDENCE” Vocabulary

  1. Discuss with students the meanings of the following words/phrases, and how they are used in the stanzas of the poem for a clear understanding of the Theme/Main Idea and the author’s intent:
  • Without self-confidence
  • On the surface
  • Doubt
  • Dominate
  • Upper hand
  • Imaginary X-Ray vision
  • Crystal clear
  • Precariously straddling
  1. When students have a clear understanding of the vocabulary words above, they are to complete the activity on pages 116 and 117 in their workbooks.  
  1. Write the definition in their own words, and then
  2. Write the word or phrase in a complete sentence, as it pertains to bullying.
  1. Verbally assign each student a number between 1-6. Each number represents a stanza from the poem “Bullies Are Without Self Confidence.”  Point out that each stanza has TWO lines!

They are to:

  • Write the entire stanza on the lines provided on page 118
  • Memorize the stanza
  • Act out the stanza in front of the class and have the class guess which stanza they are representing